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2002: Tom Lüthi makes his debut at the Sachsenring. Manager Daniel Epp (l.) And Mama Silvia (r.) Applaud.
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2003: Lüthi started his first full GP season at the age of 17.
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2020: Lüthi does not get going in the Corona season and separates from his German Intact team.
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2021: Lüthi’s move to the Spanish SAG racing team no longer brings him to the top, he announces his resignation.
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Tom Lüthi (34) draws a line.
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At the end of the season, the Emmentaler will retire from the World Motorbike Championship – and will end his 19-year career. This means that the greatest Swiss motorcycle career of modern times now only lasts seven Grand Prix.
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At the final in Valencia in November, Lüthi has an unbelievable 318 GP starts – only four drivers have broken the 300 mark in the history of the World Cup, including MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi (42), who, like Lüthi, will be leaving at the end of the year.
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That’s what Lüthi says about the end of his career
«Of course, the decision was not an easy one for me. The motorcycle world championship was my second home and most of my life for almost 20 years. I was able to experience great teamwork, celebrate great successes and, in sometimes difficult times, of course, learn an incredible amount about international road racing and its background.
Even if I say goodbye to my active career, I am happy that I don’t have to do this from the paddock and motorcycling as such. For years I fought for success, top positions and fast lap times. I will continue to do that in the future, just no longer as a racing driver, but in other roles.
Over the years I have seen how crucial a professional, stable environment and personal development are for sporting success – that’s why I’m very much looking forward to passing on my knowledge and experience and continuing to work with some of my long-term partners . ”
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«Of course, the decision was not an easy one for me. The motorcycle world championship was my second home and most of my life for almost 20 years. I was able to experience great teamwork, celebrate great successes and, in sometimes difficult times, of course, learn an incredible amount about international road racing and its background.
Even if I say goodbye to my active career, I am happy that I don’t have to do this from the paddock and motorcycling as such. For years I fought for success, top positions and fast lap times. I will continue to do that in the future, just no longer as a racing driver, but in other roles.
Over the years I have seen how crucial a professional, stable environment and personal development are for sporting success – that’s why I’m very much looking forward to passing on my knowledge and experience and continuing to work with some of my long-term partners . ”
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Lüthi entered the World Cup in 2002 when some of his opponents were not even born. The “Töffli-Bueb” from Linden BE really accelerates immediately. Only three years later Lüthi won his first of 17 GPs in the then 125cc class. And in the same year also the world title.
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The big year 2005
After Luigi Taveri and Stefan Dörflinger, the teenager is only the third Swiss solo world champion and will win his way into the hearts of Swiss sports fans.
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When the Moto2 replaced the previous 250 cc class in 2010, the medium displacement class became the “Lüthi class”. Here he wins 12 races in eleven seasons, is twice vice world champion and, with the exception of the last two crisis years in the World Cup, has always ended up in the top 6.
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video-wrapper video-wrapper--inline">Tough Reporter Dubach: “With Lüthi, Switzerland is losing one of the biggest”(01:16)
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Will there be a 66th place on the podium? Doubtful. Despite his first top ten rank, Lüthi recently followed in Spielberg this Moto2 season, only occupying 29th place in the World Championship. Tom was similarly defeated in his MotoGP year 2018, when he did not score a single point.
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The results suggested resignation
Now Lüthi is clearing the table and is foregoing the second year of the contract in the Spanish SAG team, where the premature separation might have occurred anyway. During the summer break, his team boss Edu Perales said to Blick: “Tom has a contract with us for 2022 too. But nothing is certain in the World Motorbike Championships! We will see.”
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Lüthi himself also speaks openly about the approaching end at Blick on the sidelines of the two GPs in Austria: “There is no question that it will be difficult with the results so far. There is nothing nice to talk about. “
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Now the Bernese puts an end to it. But he will remain loyal to the paddock. Lüthi will take on a leading role in the German Prüstel team – and as the manager of motorbike talent Noah Dettwiler (16), he will try to bring a Swiss person back into the World Cup soon.
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video-wrapper video-wrapper--inline">Back to the roots: Lüthi rides a pocket bike for Blick(01:55)
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